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Chapter Two
“I’m asking for a loan,” Byron told his sister. “The Duke of Dormondton is wealthy. He’s going to pay me very well. This job is a godsend. I might make enough to afford a better place to rent.”
Eris gave him a cup of tea and offered him a smile. “It would be good if you could find a better place. Sometimes I worry about you in that rat-infested home.”
“I secured the place so no more rats are going through my pantry.”
She shivered. “Those things are disgusting.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me.” He took a sip of the tea. “So, can I have the loan? I promise that I’ll pay you back as soon as the Duke of Dormondton pays me.”
“I’d be willing to give you the money. You don’t need to pay me back.”
“I have to pay you back, Eris. It wouldn’t be right for me take money from you.”
“Even though my first husband left me more than I’ll ever be able to spend in a lifetime?”
“Save it for the child you’re carrying.”
“All right, we’ll make it a loan,” Eris said. “Most people would be happy with a gift, but I understand it’s important to you that you make your own way in the world.”
“I already have been making my way in the world just fine. Unfortunately, the kind of people the Duke of Dormondton associates with are richer than most.” He gestured to his clothes. “Do you think this would be acceptable at Mr. Jasper’s ball?”
“I’ve never been to his ball, so I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been to a couple of them, and I think your clothes would be all right, though perhaps not as suitable as they could be.” She set down her tea and turned to him with a sparkle in her eye. “Charles has a lot of respect for Mr. Jasper, but he can’t stand Lord Toplyn, who is Mr. Jasper’s brother-in-law. Lord Toplyn makes sport of upsetting the Ton. The only reason Mr. Jasper can’t forbid his brother-in-law from attending his balls is because Mr. Jasper’s sister would never allow it. Mr. Jasper cares very much for his sister.”
Byron grinned. “One can hardly blame a brother for caring about his sister.” He retrieved a biscuit. “I really don’t understand the nobility. I get along with them well enough. I’ve learned to be careful about what I say and do when I’m around them. But it never ceases to amaze me that they’re so peculiar.” He ate the biscuit.
“You mustn’t say that! I think Jonathan was a fine gentleman, and Algernon and Lord Quinton seem normal.”
He shot her a pointed look. “Algernon and Lord Quinton are scared of their own shadows.”
“That might be true for Lord Quinton, but it’s not about Algernon. Algernon’s been over here plenty of times, and he’s never jumped when he sees his shadow.”
“I meant that he’s scared by a lot of things. That makes him peculiar.”
“Perhaps, but he is trying to overcome that.”
Noting the frown on her face, he said, “Don’t look hurt, Eris. I meant no disrespect. It’s merely an observation. I’ve worked with a number of titled gentlemen over the years, and there’s just something about them that is different from the rest of us. They obsess over small things. With Algernon and Lord Quinton, it’s luck. With the Duke of Dormondton, it’s propriety. I told a joke while I was there, and he didn’t laugh. He didn’t even have the slightest hint of a smile.”
“Maybe the joke wasn’t funny.”
“It was funny. His daughter had the good sense to laugh. She has a better sense of humor than he does.” Even if she was plain.
“Maybe she was humoring you. Ladies are encouraged to laugh if a gentleman believes he says something witty. It protects their pride.”
He rolled his eyes. “And after you’re done doing that, you run off with the other ladies and discuss what bores we really are, don’t you?”
“Certainly not. Or at least, I don’t. I am a lady at all times.”
“Hmm… In that case, you’re a far better person than I am.”
“You’re just not used to being around nobility. If you were to spend more time with titled gentlemen, you wouldn’t think they’re peculiar. You’d realize they’re flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.”
“It’s nice you see the best in people. It’s your most notable trait.” He hurried to finish his tea. “The ball is tomorrow evening. If I am to be good enough to go there with the Duke of Dormondton and his daughter, I better go to the market. Who knew my first assignment would be buying clothes?”
Eris set her cup down and put her hand on his arm. “Wait here, and I’ll get the money.”
Byron stood up as she left the room but returned to his seat after she was gone. He hadn’t come across a gentleman as particular about things as the Duke of Dormondton before. He wasn’t sure if the gentleman would make it easier to figure out what was going on with Lady Eleanor or not. Sometimes loved ones, even well-meaning ones, could complicate things.
